Books published by Write Bloody Publishing

These Are The Breaks is the debut essay collection of NEA award-winning playwright, HBO Def Poet, and critically acclaimed "indie" rapper, Idris Goodwin. A rhythmic blend of biting wit and break-beat poetry, Goodwin's prose pulses with purpose. Remixing broken dreams and distorted legacies, Goodwin cross-fades past and present, personal and political: Motown's last vinyl factory juxtaposes against Bronx rap legends battling in open-air arenas; Chicago's Public School system contrasts against Santa Fe's tourism industry; an Egyptian child drowns in the Dead Sea as Nat Turner sprints across Death Valley. Diverse in scope and wickedly satirical, Goodwin's poetic essays sample race, class, and culture, transcending the page with hip-hop musicality. These Are The Breaks is the literary mixtape of our cacophonous times.

In her second collection of poetry, Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz serves up a hilarious and uncompromising autobiographical bender about her first job out of college: writing and editing for porn. Whether denouncing the corporate world ("To Whom It May Concern") before lustily joining it ("New Millennial Bad Ass"), or sweetly celebrating love in the face of smut ("Let's Make Out!"), Aptowicz dramatizes the hopes, humor and ambitions of a young poet's first steps into a very surreal "real world."

Brian S. Ellis' second book, Yesterday Won't Goodbye, begins with birth and then travels exercising the meaning of origin and the experience of time.Through his wild origins of fresh language and the kind of punk rock Americana that sings with open arms in powerful poetic form, the poems exist to themselves but also carry others within each.Praise"...Ellis expertly shifts between free verse poetry and creative non-fiction, consistently producing work that is captivating and original, all while having one of the most dynamic, affective, and unapologetically raw live performances anywhere."-Jared Paul"Brian Stephen Ellis is borne of ... gutter punk. Marmalade. Unwashable stain. His poems speak with an unbridled urgency yet come to you patient, coy, brimming with wisdom-and acutely aware of their own necessity. Read these poems. You've never been so alive."-Jeanann Verlee

Writing that flows like a Tennessee Williams stage play, from haiku-size poems giving the reader a huge beauty-affirming smile to longer erotic tales that sink the reader deeper into their backstage seat.C.R. Avery's charismatic second book, 38 Bar Blues, will knock out any reader that opens this musical gem of literature. A clear glimpse into a motel 50 miles out of town, an articulate, descriptive window into the life of a modern troubadour and the courage of a young father trying to keep the highway of diamonds shining while singing the song of innocence.

"It is vital for educators to discover new ways to get students wanting to read and write poetry. These exercises are not intimidating, they are the equivalent of having a really rad English teacher who wears tweed suits and sports "read more" knuckle tattoos." -Rachel McKibbens, "Pink Elephants""This collection provides teachers with a scaffolding for their lessons by offering questions, examples, and writing prompts. This will be a valuable asset in the classrooms of new and veteran teachers alike." -Molly Meacham, teacherHello teachers! We know you work hard. Besides ninjas, you have the hardest job in the world. Between the teaching, the testing, the grading, and the nurturing it's difficult to seek out new materials for your classroom. We are here to help. As poets and teachers, we know the power of the spoken word in the classroom. All you have to do is attend a youth slam or find a clip of one online and you will see the positive impact modern poetry has on our young people. It is able to engage students from any background in a way that classical poetry simply cannot touch. A complaint we've heard from many teachers is that they would love to use spoken word in their classrooms but they are afraid of getting in trouble with rough language and themes. So behold! We asked some of the best contemporary spoken word and slam poets to give us poems that would be appropriate for the classroom.

An amazing collection of new Bible based activities for the whole family to enjoy on Family Fun Night. What is family fun night? A great way to get off your phones and get creative with your family in a fresh and hilarious way.

In Mindy Nettifee's second book, Rise of the Trust Fall, her poems possess a magic that can only come from a seasoned writer willing to share more on the page than she's comfortable with. Whether exploring the strange alchemy of healing, the perils of self-actualization, or the contemporary experience of womanhood, the poems in this daring collection are gorgeous and vibrant, bitingly funny, and unflinchingly honest. Rise of the Trust Fall challenges more than our understanding of ourselves. It calls us to connect to our humanity, to celebrate its flaws, and then to demand more of it, in every well crafted line.Praise"Mindy Nettifee's Rise of The Trust Fall is an intimate cartography of the poet that is at once lush with emotion and sharp with a bright, raw edge. This beautiful collection of poems will make you rise, rise up." - PANK Magazine"Mindy Nettifee poems inspire and fulfill. Rise of the Trust Fall has become a necessary book for me." - Beau Sia, Def Poetry Jam On Broadway"Mindy Nettifee is destined to be the next Dorothy Parker." - Poetic Diversity

After losing her sister to heart failure, Karen Finneyfrock was unable to write poems for three years. Her voice came back, whispering at first and then screaming. "Ceremony for the Choking Ghost" contains the sound of that voice returning, bringing poems about grief and its effect on the body, the body politic, memory, and, of course, poems about love. Half poetry, half exorcism, her book calls to all of our ghosts.

A clear voice of her generation, Sierra DeMulder's writing offers a gritty yet sincere perspective on the dichotomy of living; pain coupled with joy. This collection delicately carries the reader to a place of brutal, beautiful honesty. DeMulder's personal revelations complete a touching portrait of the artist and her fearless exploration of the human experience, bare in its rawest and most tender forms.Praise"Sierra DeMulder possesses the most important quality a young writer can have, a unique voice. That voice exploded onto the national spoken word scene, moving her rapidly up the ranks as one of the most exciting performance poets working today. Sierra uses subtlety and tension the way photographers use angle. She will eat your heart with a spoon."- Karen Finnyfrock"...violently passionate and sweet, deftly moving between the two modes."- The Lamron, SUNY Geneseo"...intensely personal."- Huffington Post

In her fifth collection of poetry, Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz polishes her obsessions until they gleam. Whether she is exhuming the bizarre ("Cryptozoology" and "A Short History of Unusual Fish"), exorcising her demons ("Hog Butcher of Workshop Table" and "On Why I Shouldn't Read Books"), or celebrating the uncelebrated oddballs of the world ("Little Heard True Stories of Benjamin Franklin" and "Crack Squirrels"), Aptowicz's poetry sings and singes. Everything is Everything illuminates the dark corners of the curiosity cabinet, shining the light on everything that is utterly strange, wonderfully absurd and 100% true.Praise"hilariously spunky... no-nonsense poetry."-Jennifer Dunning, The New York Times "Sometimes you plod through the day, bumping into people, tripping over your own feet. But then there are those remarkable days when you move through the world as stealthly as ninja. The latter is how the poems move in this book. Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz spits in her hands, grabs the sledgehammer, swings it hard, and rings that bell in poem after poem after poem. Everything is Everything is a winning collection chock full of swift, honest, smart, funny, and even tender poems that go up to 11."-Jennifer Knox, author of Drunk by Noon "Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz admits it herself-she's "a fool for the poetry." And I take her at her word. In the Tarot, the fool is wise and exuberant, mystical, clever, tuned into the world. In Everything is Everything, Aptowicz is indeed the divine fool, traveling her United States of Poetry and beyond. She is a poet of Americana-dead presidents (both the leaders and the money), ambitions big and small, ancient history trivia and pop culture, animals, children, impersonators and authenticity. Aptowicz's poems are animated, brimming with celebration. Everything is Everything is a stunning and dazzling book."-Denise Duhamel, author of Ka-Ching!

"This gloriously bellowed lyrical and linguistic chaos, this "mess of crossed wires and mixed seagulls," willmake your status quo ache, your perceptions implode,your horizons widen and shatter. Robbie Q. writes ustoward a primal need, the need to go absolutely insanewith the possibilities of noun, verb and participles ofthe dangled variety. This is not spoken word on thepage... this is spoken scream headed directly for thatcorner of your head you try to hide."+ PATRICIA SMITH, AUTHOR OF BLOOD

Ryler Dustin's Heavy Lead Birdsong is a collection of love poems-an old man plants orchards in his own chest, angels write messages encoded in boxcar graffiti, and a dangerous car ride through the dead of winter takes us to the Ice Age. Inspired by science and religion, grounded in subtle humor, these poems transcend modern political sorrows to celebrate the kind of human spirit that can save us.

This book contains poetry from a team of wildly unique, talented and award-winning authors who have been touring the world for years.Derrick Brown, Anis Mojgani, Buddy Wakefield, Robbie Q, Sonya Renee, Andrea Gibson, and Cristin O'keefe Aptowicz have united. Charging the hearts of America with gut-splitting, lust wrangling, socially active verse.

"Brian Ellis' poems make me want to set fire to my house and run out of the flaming door, through the streets, the fields, up the buildings and across the moon."-Anis Mojgani, author"...every turn and sudden stop is a satisfying lurch in the direction of growing up."- Simone Beaubien, The Boston Poetry SlamHis words shiver, babble, rant and constantly threaten to fall apart under the weight of their own gravity. Ellis' colorful voice is a strong addition to the Boston spoken word tradition. A second-hand microscope examining the fuzzy science of survival, Uncontrolled Experiments in Freedom is a manic and shimmering author at his creative zenith. Filled with tangentially familiar characters-family misremembered, or friends still to be met-all delivered with deft eloquence, frank eye for unlikely detail, and inescapable sense of punk nostalgia.

Illustrated poems to seduce and destroy. The Last American Valentine is a unique anthology of non-sappy love poetry and flash fiction.Poet Laureates, rock musicians, actors, famed prose writers and a few talented American barfly's have been handpicked, hunted down and crammed together with an artist the world has never met. Contributor's Include:MICHAEL MCCLUREJACK HIRSCHMANMINDY NETTIFEERICHARD SWIFTNATHAN WILLET (cold war kids)RICK LUPERTBRENDAN CONSTANTINEBEAU SIAAGNETA FALKMICHAEL ROBERTSMICHAEL C FORDBUDDY WAKEFIELDAMBER TAMBLYNJOHN GARDINERCRISTIN OKEEFE APTOWICZSHAPPY SEASHOLTZROGER BONAIR AGARDLYNNE PROCOPEVICTOR INFANTEDERRICK BROWNPraise"Poems of romantic power and humor...A gorgeously successful union."-OC Weekly

I Love You Is Back sends boldly a cupid's arrow into the heart of young lovers.This book is the second collection of work from internationally celebrated poet, Derrick Brown. Spanning 2004-2006, It includes such popular works such as 'The Victory Explosions," "All Distortion, All the Time," "St. Marks," and "The Last Poem about Anne Sexton."

Born In The Year Of The Butterfly Knife is the award winning modern American prose and poetry collection by famed Nashville author Derrick Brown. Mr. Brown has performed works from herein on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and as the opening act for rock bands such as Cold War Kids and The White Stripes. It contains 204 pages of work spanning 1994-2004. Derrick Brown's large cult following has sent him on tours through twelve countries. He continues to tour to this day.

Hello teachers! We know you work hard. Besides ninjas, you have the hardest job in the world. Between the teaching, the testing, the grading, and the nurturing it's difficult to seek out new materials for your classroom. We are here to help. As slam poets and teachers, we know the power of the spoken word in the classroom. All you have to do is attend a youth slam or find a clip of one online and you will see the positive impact it has on our young people. It is able to engage kids from any background in a way that classical poetry simply cannot touch. A complaint we've heard from many teachers is that they would love to use spoken word in their classrooms but they are afraid of getting in trouble. A bulk of spoken word poetry does have quite a few curses. After all, those poems were meant to be read to a rowdy crowd of adults at a slam and not a class full of kids. The poems come from the gut and sometimes an "F" bomb finds its way to the page. Unfortunately, this is what holds many teachers back from using spoken word in their classes. So behold! We asked some of the best contemporary spoken word and slam poets to give us poems that would be appropriate for the classroom. This means you will not have to sift through this book with a highlighter to try and find the F's and the S's and the B's. We've provided poems from national slam champs, world slam champs, fellow teachers, and poets we feel are the best of what's around. We've also included some lessons. Some of these lessons have been tested out in the classroom, some not. Feel free to use these lessons as you see fit. Every teacher has their own style so please, do not feel like you have to use the lessons verbatim. Simplify, expand, modify, do whatever you need to do. You know your class so teach the poems the way that suits them best. The most important part is the poetry. Learn then Burn,Tim Stafford and Derrick Brown

Racing Hummingbirds examines, critiques, and at times delights in one woman's navigation through the many worlds of manic depression and her struggle to maintain humanity in the process. Jeanann Verlee's award-winning debut collection is a series of narratives, prayers, and conjurings which address gender, sex, race, poverty, heartbreak, and survival with such stark intimacy, you will find yourself living inside. These poems cannot possibly be about you, yet they are. They cross boundaries and reclaim hope. They are as the opening poem suggests, nothing short of communion.Recipient of the Independent Publisher Book Award Silver Medal in Poetry.ReviewsRacing Hummingbirds is a masterful first collection... They are medicine words. -The LegendaryIt's poetry with its teeth bared...completely and unapologetically naked. -PANK Magazine...a roller coaster of imagistic magic. Form, language, allusion, and voice interact, collide, shape-shift, and duel...throughout an utterly arresting mosaic.-Danse MacabreFierce and formidable, Jeanann Verlee is poised to make an indelible mark - much like a razor slashing silk - on what's become a comfortably placid poetic landscape. -Patricia Smith, author of Blood Dazzler and Teahouse of the Almighty...as visceral and searing as it is compassionate and forgiving. -Small Press Reviews...one of the most powerful collections I've ever read. -Roxane Gay, HTML Giant

In her third collection of poetry, Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz celebrates the ups and downs of being a poet with a day job. Whether exulting the mundaneness of office life ("Rules of Slack"), musing about hidden perks of college poetry gigs ("Ode to College Cafeterias") or hilariously defending the use of humor in poetry ("To the Guy Who Said that Funny Poetry Ain't Poetry"), this book continues Aptowicz's tradition of witty, honest and idiosyncratic work. ¿ her previous Write Bloody book, Everything is Everything, 978-0-9842515 was reviewed widely

After the Witch Hunt is a powerful and evocative collection of poetry that focuses on empowering silenced women and allowing their voices to be heard through the written word.In Megan Falley's collection, liberated women emerge from captivity through powerful poetry, reflecting the author's intentions. The poems touch on resilience, self-expression, and personal growth with a blend of humor and brazen darkness, engaging and empowering readers on an inspiring journey of liberation.The book is an ode to the strength and creativity of women.

We Will be Shelter stands as a powerful anthology of contemporary poems that unflinchingly confront issues of social justice.What sets this collection apart is its unwavering commitment to inspiring positive transformation through the art of poetry. Within its pages, beautifully crafted verses take center stage, captivating readers with their evocative power.This anthology serves as both a call to awareness and an invitation to introspection, urging readers to examine their role in shaping a just and equitable world. Through the eloquence of these poems, readers are compelled to take meaningful action, transforming empathy into activism and propelling society toward a brighter future.*Half of all proceeds from this book go to the charity of Andrea Gibson's choice every year. In 2019, a donation was made to This is About Humanity.

Slow Dance with Sasquatch is an invitation into a private ballroom, a banquet hall in the middle of the woods. Here, you will sit and feast and waltz with your monsters. Here, you will harvest imagination from loneliness and longing. Here, you will coax laughter from the beasts' mouths. Here, the table is always fully loaded. Here, the cake is always warm, and no matter how much of it you eat, you will never stop being beautiful.Praise"Jeremy Radin writes beautiful poetry. His book, Slow Dance with Sasquatch is a roaring testament to the lonely sadness and sorrowful joy of what it means to be something grown that once was young..."- Anis Mojgani"I am jealous of Jeremy Radin. Jealous that he can reveal himself so fearlessly. Jealous that he can see the same world in ways that reach beyond my own imagination. You don't read these poems. You bathes in them."- Jorge Garcia, Actor

Drunks and Other Poems of Recovery pays tribute to the people who saved Jack McCarthy's life.McCarthy's powerful poem "Drunks" has achieved global recognition, spreading across recovery websites and standing as one of the most beloved and widely-read poems on the challenging journey of overcoming alcoholism.In Drunks and Other Poems of Recovery, Jack McCarthy leaves behind a profound legacy for those who played a pivotal role in saving his life. This potent collection possesses the strength to grace both poetry shelves and recovery shelves.